


Spilled Coffee

by MBmasher



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:35:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26726794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MBmasher/pseuds/MBmasher
Summary: Maki meets an annoying girl at a cafe, who spills coffee all over her. She sure hopes that she won’t ever see the girl ever again. (Spoiler: She sees her again.)
Relationships: Ayase Eli/Koizumi Hanayo, Hoshizora Rin/Nishikino Maki
Comments: 9
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

Hanayo looked at herself in the mirror for the n-th time. She readjusted her glasses and nervously checked her watch.

“Oh, my first day of college… I’m so nervous!” Hanayo muttered to herself.

She checked her pocket once again, making sure that she had the printout of the campus. She spent the entirety of last night memorising it, but decided that it was better to be safe than sorry.

She glanced over to the printed photo of her and Rin’s graduation on her desk. Luckily, they had both made it into the same college, and they had even signed up to be roomed together, so she felt relieved at that. However, they had signed up for different courses, so Hanayo would have to make some new friends. She shuddered at the thought.

She waited until the clock ticked over to the new hour before deciding that it was finally time to leave the house. She pulled out her phone to text Rin.

 **Hanayo:** _“Rin-chan, let’s meet at the campus cafe.”_

Rin quickly replied.

 **Rin:** _“OK! （＾・ω・＾❁)”_

 **Rin:** _“U ready for college?”_

Hanayo shook her head.

 **Hanayo:** _“Of course not… I’m still a bit nervous!”_

 **Rin:** _“It’s OK, Kayo-chin! (=^ ◡ ^=) I’ll help u out as much as I can, nya!”_

Hanayo smiled to herself.

 **Hanayo:** _“Thanks, Rin-chan. <3”_

 **Rin:** _“(=´∇｀=)”_

Hanayo slipped her phone back into her pocket. She patted down her shirt, before standing up straight and grabbing the door handle.

“You got this, Hanayo!” She encouraged herself. She opened the door and stepped out of her house.

\--

 **Eli:** _“I’ll be waiting at the cafe.”_

 **Maki:** _“Alright, see you there.”_

Eli sat at her table in the cafe, checking her messages again to see if Maki had replied, before her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of the bell at the door. Eli spotted the familiar red headed girl, who scanned the cafe by turning her head, before she met Eli’s eyes.

“Maki!” Eli called out, opening her arms. Maki walked over to Eli, returning the hug and accepting her embrace. This was the first time they had seen each other since Maki’s high school graduation, so naturally they both got a bit teary eyed.

“You finally made it! How was high school without me? Were you lonely?” Eli teased. Maki silently nodded into Eli’s shoulder. She had missed Eli a lot. So much so, that after Eli’s high school graduation, Maki cried herself to sleep that night, which was a secret that Maki vowed to never tell anyone.

After a few moments, Eli let go of Maki. “Come on Maki, let’s talk after we get our coffees.”

\--

“So, how was high school, Maki?” Eli asked, as they sat at the table, waiting for their orders.

“Well… let’s just say I didn’t really make any other friends,” Maki muttered.

“As expected…”

“I already graduated, so it doesn’t matter much to me. How about you? How’s college going?”

“Oh, it’s going great! I’ve made a few friends. Maybe you could use a few tips,” Eli teased. Maki blushed a bit, turning her head away.

“Speaking of college, have you been to the dorms yet?” Eli asked. Maki shook her head. “I guess that means you don’t know what room you’re in, either. I’ll take you there once we leave,” Eli said.

She continued, “The truth is that before you came, I had a room to myself, but when you graduated, I asked them if I could move in with you,” Eli explained.

Maki blushed again. “Geez, Eli, I’m not a baby, I don’t need you to live with me!” Maki retorted. Eli just laughed it off.

“Oh, here’s our coffees-” Eli started, before she was interrupted by a scream which filled the cafe.

“KAYO-CHIN!” Rin screamed, running through the cafe.

“Rin-chan, don’t run!” Hanayo exclaimed.

“So loud… doesn’t she know she’s in a cafe?” Maki grumbled.

“Maki…”

They watched the waitress walk towards their table with coffees in hand, before a sudden, loud bump was heard and Maki felt a burning sensation on her skin. It took a moment before she realised that the waitress had been bumped by Rin, and that the coffee had been spilled all over her.

Rin had also fallen to the floor. The rest of the cafe had turned their heads to see the commotion, and Hanayo rushed over. Rin stood up and walked over to Maki.

“I’m really sorry!” she apologised, bowing. “Here, I have tissues, I’ll help you-”

“No, don’t touch me! Ugh. Just go away,” Maki groaned as Eli pulled out her own tissues to clean Maki up. Rin stayed there for a few seconds before walking away, head down, while Hanayo brought her arm around her shoulder, comforting her.

“Great, now my dress is ruined,” Maki complained. “Doesn’t that girl have any common sense?!”

“Maki, calm down. I’ll just take you to the dorms now so you can change,” Eli declared. Maki nodded, before they stood up to leave the cafe.

\--

“I feel bad for that girl, nya...” Rin muttered. She and Hanayo had just left the cafe.

“It’s fine, Rin-chan, just don’t run in places like that anymore, okay? And don’t scream, it’s embarrassing,” Hanayo said.

They walked to the dorms, spotting the list of names corresponding with room numbers. Rin dragged her finger down the list, looking for her name.

“Here’s my name, nya! Hang on, who’s this? ‘Nishikino Maki’?” Rin asked. “Didn’t we sign up together, nya?”

“Me too, they put me with ‘Ayase Eli’,” Hanayo muttered.

“They must have made a mistake. Kayo-chin, who should we ask to fix this?” Rin asked.

“Wait, Rin-chan. Read the bottom,” Hanayo noted.

 _“The room placements are final and thus, you cannot change your room,”_ it read at the bottom of the paper.

Rin groaned. “No!”

“I’m sorry, Rin-chan…”

“It’s okay, Kayo-chin! I just hope this Nishikino Maki girl is a nice person, nya.”

“I hope Ayase Eli isn’t scary…”

\--

“Alright, here’s the dorms, Maki,” Eli explained, as she gestured to a building in front of them. “Oh, there’s the list of names,” Eli walked over to a piece of paper taped on the wall.

“Looks like they made a mistake,” Eli pointed to her name on the list. “They put me with some other person called ‘Koizumi Hanayo’.”

“Yeah, they put me with ‘Hoshizora Rin’,” Maki said. “Hang on, wasn’t the girl from the cafe also called Rin?”

“Well, maybe it’s a common name,” Eli noted.

“I hope so. I don’t think I could deal with living with that annoying girl,” Maki sighed.

“Maki, be nice. You don’t know if she’s annoying just based on that one encounter,” Eli rebuked. 

“Whatever, I don’t care. Let’s just go to your room. I’ll help you unpack.”

\--

“Kayo-chin, this is your room, isn’t it?” Rin pointed to a number next to the door.

“Yeah…” Hanayo mumbled.

“What’s wrong, Kayo-chin?”

“Well… W-What if Ayase Eli really is a s-scary person? I-I’d be too scared to live with her…”

“Oh, it’ll be fine, nya!” Rin reassured, loudly knocking on the door.

“Wait, Rin-chan, I’m not ready!” Hanayo squeaked, before the door opened.

“Hi!” Eli greeted. Hanayo’s thoughts about Eli being scary all immediately vanished as she saw her blonde hair and fair skin. She also noted her height, and then her perfect curves, before staring into her blue eyes-

“Kayo-chin!” Rin whispered, bumping Hanayo. “You’re staring.”

“Y-Yes! I’m your roommate, Koizumi Hanayo! O-Oh, but you can just call me H-Hanayo. It’s nice to meet you!” Hanayo bowed.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Eli bowed in response. “I’m Ayase Eli, but you can call me Eli.”

“Hi! I’m Hoshizora Rin, Kayo-chin’s best friend! Oh, I call her Kayo-chin,” Rin exclaimed.

Eli giggled, “Well, it’s nice to meet you too, Rin. Hanayo, come on in, I’ve already unpacked, I’ll help you unpack as well,” Eli offered. Rin wheeled Hanayo’s belongings into the room, waving at her as she closed the door.

“Well, time to go to my room, nya!” Rin smiled to herself. “I wonder what this Maki girl is like, nya…”

Rin walked, until she found her room. She hummed to herself, knocking on the door. After a few moments, the door opened.

“Hey,” the voice behind the door called out. As the door opened, Rin spotted the familiar red hair and coffee stained dress, before realising that it was the girl from the cafe.

“You?!”


	2. Chapter 2

“You?!” Maki exclaimed.

“I-I’m sorry again, for what happened at the cafe-” Rin bowed, before Maki shoved her out of the way as she rushed outside.

“It’s fine. I’m just going to change rooms,” Maki explained, quickly walking away.

“Wait!” Rin yelled, “Why?!”

“There’s no way I’m going to live with someone like you!” Maki turned back, yelling.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Rin shouted. Maki started walking away again before she bumped into Eli.

“Woah!” Eli reacted, “What’s going on here?”

“W-We could hear you guys from our room,” Hanayo spoke up.

“Eli! You see that girl there?!” Maki pointed to Rin.

“She ended up being your roommate, after all?” Eli deduced.

“Yes, and I’m going to change that.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Why?!”

“Because it said that you can’t change it on the list!” Eli retorted. 

“You’re joking!”

“Maki, you need to learn how to read…”

“Ugh!” Maki stomped her foot on the ground. “This sucks. I’m not gonna be able to concentrate on my work! And I’m probably going to have to clean up for her or wash her dishes!”

“Hey, I’m right here!” Rin yelled.

“G-guys, please quiet down,” Hanayo attempted to calm the situation. Meanwhile, Maki stomped back into their room.

“Rin-chan, will you be okay?” Hanayo asked.

“Yeah, I think I’ll be fine, nya. Just expect me to come over to your room a lot,” Rin said.

“I apologise on behalf of Maki,” Eli bowed, “she can be a bit childish sometimes.”

“It’s fine!” Rin replied, “It was my fault for what happened in the cafe.”

“Nonsense. I just hope you two will be able to get along eventually, although I imagine it will take a while, knowing that girl,” Eli pinched her forehead.

“A-Anyway, we’ll see you later!”

“Yeah, see you, Kayo-chin!” Rin waved, as Eli and Hanayo walked back to their room.

Rin also walked back to her own room. She closed the door behind her and was met with the sight of Maki furiously unpacking.

Maki looked back to see Rin. “Hoshizora,” she growled, “Look, seeing as that we’re gonna be roommates, I’d much prefer if we just keep our distance. I don’t want to have to clean up your stuff, alright?!”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it!” Rin retorted.  _ “This girl’s getting a bit irritating, isn’t she?” _ she thought to herself.

Both of them unpacked in silence. After a few minutes, Rin spoke up again.

“Also, you can call me Rin,” she muttered.

Maki quickly turned away, although the slight red tint that went up her face didn’t go unnoticed by Rin.

“W-Well, you can call me whatever you want. I don’t care,” Maki grumbled.

_ “Well, maybe she’s a bit cute as well,” _ Rin remarked to herself.

“Okay, Maki-chan,” Rin replied. Maki choked on her saliva.

\--

_ [Eli added Maki to the group chat.] _

_ [Hanayo added Rin to the group chat.] _

Rin and Maki both woke to the vibration of their phones, notifying them about the group chat.

“Hey Maki-chan, check your phone.”

“I know. I’m awake.”

**Eli:** _“Hi guys! Hanayo and I were thinking of going out this weekend as a way to get to know each other better, as well as celebrate your entry into college. Did you two want to come?”_

**Maki:** _ ”Sure, if Rin doesn’t go.” _

**Rin:** _ ”｡ﾟ(₌இᆽஇ₌)ﾟ｡” _

**Maki:** _ ”What the hell is that?” _

**Rin:** _ ”A cat?” _

**Maki:** _ ”Whatever. Nevermind” _

**Eli:** _“Be nice, Maki.”_

**Rin:** _ ”I dont mind coming (=^･ω･^=)” _

**Eli:** _“Sweet! You’re coming too, Maki.”_

**Maki:** _ ”...” _

**Eli:** _“Glad that’s settled!”_

 **Hanayo:** _“Are you guys fine to meet up at the station near the campus at 10am on Saturday?”_

_ [Eli, Rin and Maki liked Hanayo’s message.] _

**Hanayo:** _“Okay, see you there!”_

\--

“Hey you two!” Eli yelled out, her and Hanayo both waving. Rin ran up to them and gave them both a big hug.

“Rin, stop being annoying,” Maki complained. Rin stuck her tongue out at her.

“You’re just jealous I didn’t hug you, nya~” Rin teased. Maki turned red at her words.

“W-What?!” she stuttered, “I never even wanted a hug from you,” she declared, folding her arms and turning away.

“Alright guys, let’s go to the arcade first!” Eli exclaimed, stomping ahead of the rest of the group.

“M-Maki, is she normally like this?” Hanayo muttered to Maki.

“Yeah. She always gets competitive when it comes to stuff like arcade games,” Maki explained.  _ “Cute,” _ Hanayo thought to herself.

“Maki-chan, have you played at an arcade before, nya?” Rin asked, suddenly moving right up near Maki’s face.

“Get off me. And of course I have. Eli always drags me to them,” Maki explained.

“I bet you suck, nya~” Rin scoffed. Maki stomped her foot down.

“Hey, I do not suck!”

“Sure you don’t~”

Maki grumbled. She quickly increased her pace, stomping over to Eli. “Come on Eli, we need to hurry.”

Rin and Hanayo softly giggled at Maki’s behavior.

\--

“Hanayo, Hanayo! Have you played DDR before?” Eli excitedly asked.

“N-No-”

“Then come with me, quick! I want to show you my favorite songs!” Eli grabbed Hanayo’s hand and dragged her to the DDR cabinets.

“S-Somebody save me~!”

“Well, they’re gone,” Maki remarked.

“In that case…” Rin smirked, picking up an air hockey paddle.

“Oh, you’re on.”

\--

The score was a tie, timer ticking down. It was close to hitting zero. The adrenaline could be felt rushing through both players as they whacked the puck between each other at insane speeds. Even Eli and Hanayo had come back from their DDR session to watch the intense game.

“Oh, she’s got a good shot!”

Maki seemed to finally find an opening. She hit the puck towards Rin’s goal as her hand was far from the puck. It seemed that this would decide the outcome of the game! The puck slid through the goal and Maki cheered-

The timer blinked, showing zero. The puck slid into the goal, however the score had remained a tie.

“What?!” Maki cried out. “How did I not win?!”

“It seems you’re going to have to accept that as a tie, nya~” Rin smirked.

“I demand a rematch!”

“Sure, but you’re going to lose this one,” Rin smugly declared, swiping her card through the reader.

\--

They tied once again.

Maki demanded a rematch, however Eli cut her off. “That’s enough Maki, let the other people play.”

“But Eli-”

Eli glared at Maki, causing her to back off. Rin and Hanayo stood there, surprised at the sight.

Eli’s face instantly reverted back to a smile. “Come on guys, let’s go find another game!”

\--

The four of them walked around the arcade, pointing at fun games and prizes.

“Oh look, it’s a zombie game, nya!” Rin pointed at the cabinet, covered in terrifying, gorey blood and pictures of zombies. Both Hanayo and Eli averted their eyes from the cabinet, something which didn’t go unnoticed by Rin and Maki. Rin laughed under her breath.

“Maybe… you two should try it!” Rin exclaimed, pushing them both into the cabinet.

“W-W-Wait!” they both screamed. They both tried escaping, however they couldn’t overcome the force of Rin and Maki pushing them back in. Hanayo let out a shaky sigh.

“It’s fine… We just need to play one game and then we can leave.” Hanayo told Eli. Eli nodded, “We got this.” They grabbed each other’s hand and waited for the game to start.

\--

“H-Hanayo, there’s more over there!!” Eli panicked, shakily swerving the gun as zombies slowly approached from the corner.

“Wait, E-Eli! We need to reload! Reload!!” Hanayo screamed, spamming the trigger, a futile act, as their ammo had dropped to zero.

They both squealed loudly as the screen became covered in red, and their health dropped to zero, very hungry zombies piling on top of their body. They both slowly stepped out of the cabinet. Hanayo wiped the sweat off her forehead, breathing heavily.

“Never… again…” she muttered. She looked up, before realising that Rin and Maki were nowhere to be found.

“Huh? Where did those two go?”

\--

“Maki-chan! Let’s play the crane game, nya!” Rin grabbed Maki’s wrist, dragging her towards the crane machine. Maki forcefully pulled her hand away.

“Don’t touch me. Also, I don’t want to play that. You can go by yourself,” Maki huffed. Rin stared at the ground for a moment, before her smile gradually came off her face as she turned away.

“Okay…” she muttered, slowly walking away from Maki and towards the crane machine. Maki felt her heart drop at the sight. She hated the girl - but seeing her act so unlike her normal self made her feel sad… for some reason.

“Hey, wait!” Maki quickly moved towards the crane machine, swiping her card. She turned towards Rin, however diverted her eyes to the side. “J-Just one game.”

Rin’s smile came back as quickly as it disappeared. “Yay! Maki-chan fell for it, nya!” she danced around.

Maki, realising that it was a trap, turned red and grumbled. She grabbed the joystick aggressively, maneuvering the crane handle. She eyed a particular tomato plush, stopping the crane handle above it. It came down, however barely gripped on to it as it slid off the plush, coming back up.

“My turn, nya!” she exclaimed from behind Maki. She took control of the joystick, moving the crane handle above the same plush that Maki seemed to be aiming for. Maki wondered if it was a coincidence.

Once again, the crane handle moved down, clutching onto the plush. This time, it grabbed onto the plush for long enough, so it dropped down the pit. Rin bent down to grab the plush, holding it out into the air.

“Yay! Rin won, nya!” she jumped around. Maki didn’t care much, but at the back of her mind, she felt a small sense of bitterness, knowing that Rin had gotten the plush she wanted.

“Just kidding~ I knew you wanted this one, nya!” Rin declared, extending the plush out to Maki. Maki’s eyebrows went up, feeling shocked. 

“F-Fine. I’ll accept it,” Maki grabbed the plush out of Rin’s hand, a slight red tinge running through her cheeks. Rin danced around, while Maki subconsciously hugged her plush.

“Alright you two, ready for lunch?” Eli called out as she and Hanayo approached the two of them.

“Yeah, nya!” Rin pumped her fist in the air, skipping towards the door of the arcade, dragging Hanayo with her.

Eli eyed the tomato plush that Maki was hugging, before smirking towards Maki.

“So, did Rin get that-”

“Shut up.”


	3. Chapter 3

The four girls, after leaving the arcade, spotted a restaurant they liked. They settled down at a desk and then ordered their food.

“So, what do you guys plan on majoring in?” Eli began.

“I wanna major in education, nya!” Rin exclaimed, “I was one of the best athletes at my high school, so I decided I wanted to teach PE, nya!”

“Ooh, you want to become a teacher, that’s cool! What about you, Hanayo?” Eli smiled, clapping her hands together.

“I-I also want to major in education…” Hanayo muttered, “but I don’t want to teach at a high school like Rin-chan does, actually I wanted to teach at a primary school...”

“It’s perfect for Kayo-chin, nya!” Rin wrapped an arm around Hanayo, “every time she sees kids, she always knows how to talk to them! And they always love her, nya!”

“Aww, that’s so cute!” Eli exclaimed, “and Maki, you tell these two what you plan on majoring in.”

“Fine,” Maki grumbled. “I plan on majoring in composition. As in, musical composition,” she added, “I’ve had an interest in piano and composition since I was a child, so I just thought, why not?”

“That sounds nice,” Hanayo replied. Maki just turned away, twirling her scarlet hair with her finger.

Suddenly, Maki’s phone lit up as a call came through, showing “Mom” on the screen. Maki quickly noticed, declining the call.

“It’s okay if you pick up, nya.” Rin noted.

“D-Don’t worry about it,” Maki grumbled. Her phone continued to vibrate as messages sent through her phone. Maki groaned, angrily running her hands through her hair.

“Actually, I will,” Maki claimed, picking up her phone and leaving the restaurant. The three girls watched her through a window. They couldn’t hear what she was saying, but it was clear that it was heated, judging from how Maki was screaming at her phone.

“E-Eli, what’s happening?” Hanayo muttered.

“Actually, it’s about the exact thing we’re talking about right now…” Eli let out a small laugh. “You know how she’s majoring in composition?”

Rin and Hanayo nodded.

“It wasn’t meant to be like that. At least, not according to her parents. You see, their parents own a hospital.” Rin and Hanayo gasped. Eli continued, “Naturally, they wanted Maki to take over the hospital after them. However, she insisted on a career in music. They argued and eventually Maki just left the house. She tries to cut off contact with her parents but as you can see,” Eli gestured to where Maki was standing, however she looked up and realised that Maki had stepped back into the restaurant.

“O-Oh, Maki-”

“Eli, you said you wouldn’t tell anyone,” Maki growled.

“Look, I’m really sorry-” Eli was interrupted by Maki picking up her bag and storming out of the restaurant.

The door swung back and forth as the three girls sat in silence.

“Girls, I’m really sorry about that… I promised her I wouldn’t tell anyone,” Eli muttered.

“I-It’s OK, Eli, that’s our fault then...” Hanayo grabbed Eli’s hand under the table.

“Maki-chan…” Rin whispered.

“I have to go talk to her,” Rin stood up, quickly walking out of the restaurant.

“Wait, Rin-chan!” Hanayo exclaimed, trying to grab Rin’s wrist but failing.

\--

“Maki-chan!” Rin called out, as she ran towards Maki. Maki turned her head back, however continued walking.

“Maki-chan, wait,” Rin panted, “I think you have to have a proper talk with your parents.”

Maki clicked her tongue. “Rin, you know nothing.”

Rin grabbed Maki’s wrist. “If I ever had a fight with my parents, I wouldn’t just cut them off!” Rin yelled, “No matter what, they’re still your parents! Somewhere deep in their heart, they do still love you!”

Maki aggressively yanked her hand out of Rin’s grip. “Get off me!” Maki yelled. “Rin, you don’t know anything about what it’s like to have parents who don’t give a shit about you! My whole entire life, I’ve done my best for them! And all they ever fucking told me, was ‘Do better!’ You would never know what it’s like!” Maki cried, turning back and running away while covering her eyes with her arm, as tears fell to the ground.

Eli and Hanayo had seen the scene too as they walked out of the restaurant.

“Rin, what happened?” Eli asked. 

“I-I just wanted her to t-talk to her parents properly,” Rin cried, “B-But she told me that her parents don’t give a s-shit about her,”

“Rin-chan, it’s okay,” Hanayo opened her arms out. Rin accepted the hug, silently crying into Hanayo’s shoulder.

“I didn’t mean to hurt her…” Rin whispered.

“Don’t worry about it, Rin. Maki can get more… emotional than you think.” Eli noted.

Hanayo rubbed Rin’s back to soothe her. After a few minutes, Rin had calmed down a bit more and let go of Hanayo.

“Girls, let’s just go home,” Eli said, “Again, I’m sorry for ruining our day out.”

“E-Eli, don’t worry about it!” Hanayo voiced.

“And Rin,” Eli continued, “you should switch rooms with me for now. Maki definitely doesn’t want to see you right now,” she noted bluntly.

“Yeah, I know,” Rin nodded.

Eli patted Rin’s shoulder. “I’ll talk with Maki and I’ll make sure she’s okay, alright? Don’t worry too much about what happened.”

“Thanks, Eli,” Rin let a small smile grow on her face.

\--

Eli slowly opened the door to Maki’s dorm room.

“Get out!” Maki reacted.

“Maki, it’s me,” Eli soothed. Maki, who was sitting on the bed, looked up to see Eli. She said nothing and looked back down at her lap.

“Look, if you want to say sorry again, I don’t care-”

“No, I’m not here for that,” Eli interrupted, “but thanks anyway,” Eli finished, as she took a seat next to Maki on the bed.

“Then, what the hell do you want?”

“I just wanted to see how you were feeling.”

“Uh-huh, I’m feeling real great right now,” Maki sarcastically remarked. Eli found no words to reply with, as they simply sat in silence for a few moments.

“Rin meant well, you know-”

“I know!” Maki retorted. “It’s not about her anymore. It’s just… you know.” Eli nodded in response.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever understand how you’re feeling right now, but I just want to say that you don’t have to live up to anybody’s expectations.” Eli said.

“I know that,” Maki replied, “but I can never shake off the feeling at the back of my head. I don’t think talking to my parents today helped at all, either.”

“What did they say, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“They tried to get me to reconsider taking over the hospital. I said no, obviously. Then they told me, and I quote, ‘you are truly a disgrace to the Nishikino name.’”

“I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s alright. I’m used to it.” Maki stated bluntly.

“Maki…” Eli started, “Look, I’m going to be honest. I agree with Rin, you do need to settle things with your parents.”

“Eli-”

“But, it doesn’t have to be now. You don’t have to rush. Me and two other girls have your back, alright? But, you can’t shut them out forever.” Eli explained. Maki simply grumbled and brought her legs up to her chest, hugging them and turning away. Eli stood up.

“By the way, you should get ready to talk to Rin. I’ll see you later,” Eli walked out of the room.

\--

“Kayo-chin, I don’t know what to do,” Rin said, shutting the door behind her. ”I really didn’t mean to hurt her feelings…”

“Of course you didn’t. The Rin-chan I know would never hurt anyone’s feelings,” Hanayo asserted, “but you need to understand where she’s coming from.” They both took a seat on the floor.

“Imagine if your parents hated the guts out of you, and a friend of yours simply told you to ‘talk to your parents.’ You wouldn’t be able to do it, would you?” Hanayo reasoned. Rin shook her head.

“That’s how Maki’s feeling right now, okay? So you need to be careful around her.” Rin nodded.

“Okay... I think I get it. Thanks, Kayo-chin!” Rin expressed gratitude, “but, what should I say to her next?”

“Hmm... I’m sorry, Rin-chan, but I think you should figure that out yourself.”

Rin pouted at Hanayo before standing up.

“Alright, I’ll talk to her. Thanks again, Kayo-chin!”

\--

“Maki-chan, I’m sorry!” Rin yanked the door to their dorm open, as she spotted Maki sitting on the bed, at the same place she had been sitting on before. Maki kept her gaze down, barely acknowledging Rin’s entrance.

“Maki-chan,” Rin crouched down to look at Maki. Maki just turned her head away.

“Stop annoying me,” Maki grumbled.

“That’s the Maki-chan I’ve been waiting for,” Rin smiled, sitting next to Maki.

“Bweh?!” Maki stuttered, “That doesn’t even make any sense.” Rin just giggled.

“Maki-”

“Wait, Rin, don’t apologise or anything,” Maki interrupted.

“I thought about it while you weren’t here. I don’t know, I’m really starting to lose hope that my parents will ever be satisfied with me. But like you said, maybe I should just try properly talking to them once,” Maki explained.

“I’m glad you considered it, Maki-chan.”

“But wait, just one thing,” Maki paused. “I-I don’t want to do it alone…” Maki blushed.

Rin’s eyes lit up. “Of course I would help you talk to them, Maki-chan! I’d love to do that! In fact, give me your mom’s number right now.”

Maki’s cheeks became redder. “W-What?! Now?”

“Yes, Maki-chan, and no excuses,” Rin retorted, quickly grabbing Maki’s phone and copying her number to her own phone, pressing the call button.

The phone rang a few times, before Maki’s mother picked up.

“Good afternoon. I am Hoshizora Rin, one of the friends of your daughter, Maki. I was just wondering if you would like to meet both of us so we could have a civil chat. … Yes. … Okay, thank you,” Rin finished, hanging the call up.

“Time to find your favourite dress, Maki-chan!” Rin excitedly stood up, pulling Maki up as well.

“W-What, already?!”

“Yup!”


	4. Chapter 4

“Woah… Maki-chan, this is your house?!” Rin stared in awe at the massive mansion, which was probably at least the size of one of the campus buildings.

“W-Well, this is one of the smaller ones,” Maki brushed off, twirling her hair.

“Wait, you have more?! And they’re even bigger than this?!” Rin exclaimed.

“You know my parents own a hospital, right…?”

“I know, but still!”

Rin walked up to a large metal gate.

“Maki-chan, what do we do?? It’s closed!”

“Idiot, just press the button,” Maki walked forward and pressed a small button beside the gate. About a minute later, a bulky security guard came over to open the gate.

“Maki-sama,” the security guard bowed, “Good afternoon. It’s been a while since you last came here.”

Maki waved it off, slightly bowing her head towards the guard before walking through.

“And you must be Hoshizora Rin, correct? Nishikino-sama has been expecting you.”

“Yes, it’s wonderful to meet you,” Rin replied, bowing towards the security guard. 

Shortly after, the door opened, revealing Maki’s mother at the front, with her father standing behind her.

“Maki, it’s wonderful to have you back!” Maki’s mother greeted, opening her arms out for a hug.

“Sure,” Maki murmured, ignoring the gesture and walking inside the house. Maki’s mother laughed it off as she faced Rin.

“You must be Hoshizora Rin, correct? It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Maki’s mother smiled at Rin.

“The same goes for you, Nishikino-san,” Rin bowed again, towards Maki’s mother.

“Come in. I’ll make you two some lunch.”

\--

Maki’s mother served the two girls lunch, as she took a seat directly opposite from Rin, with Maki sitting off to the side. Both girls began to eat.

“I hope my cooking isn’t too bad?” Maki’s mother asked.

“It’s absolutely delicious, Nishikino-san,” Rin complimented.

“Thank you.”

They ate in silence, while Maki’s mother slowly sipped on her coffee. Eventually, Maki’s mother broke the silence.

“So, Rin. What do you plan on taking a career in?”

“Actually, I plan on taking a career in education. I’ve always wanted to teach P.E. classes at a high school,” Rin articulated. Maki noticed that everything that came out of her mouth seemed thoroughly rehearsed - at least based on how she normally spoke.

Maki’s mother silently nodded. She took a sip from her coffee mug before continuing.

“Well, you know that teachers don’t really make that much money, right?”

Maki cut in. “Mama, that’s not appropriate at all-”

“Yes, I understand that,” Rin interrupted. “But, I don’t want to live my life worrying a lot about money. As long as I can pursue my true passions, I’m fine with making just enough money to live,” Rin explained.

“I see,” Maki’s mother slowly nodded. Rin increasingly began sweating, not even realising until she touched her thighs, when she realised how wet and clammy her hands were.

“I actually did some research about you, Rin,” Maki’s mother stated. “I read that you performed exceedingly well as a track and field athlete at your high school. In fact, you had been invited to, and achieved great results in international competitions,” Maki’s mother stated. Maki internally gasped; she knew Rin was athletic, but not this athletic.

“Yes, that is true,” Rin admitted.

“Then I would like to ask, why not continue through that pathway? I’m sure it will lead to many opportunities, and it seems a lot more fulfilling than - well, this,” Maki’s mother gestured to Rin.

“It’s not my true passion,” Rin argued. “I know I’m good at all that stuff, but really, it just stresses me out.”

Maki’s mother furrowed her eyebrows. “You would really give up international success just for a silly teaching job?”

“Mama-”

“Yes, yes I would,” Rin declared. 

“And your daughter Maki here, is the same,” she gestured to Maki. “While I don’t know the full situation, I know that she has been feeling very stressed over your insistence that she inherits your hospital, over pursuing a musical career like she wants to.”

Maki’s mother tried to speak, however Rin continued. “I’ve never heard Maki’s piano playing or compositions, but I’m sure that they are all very beautiful.” Maki blushed at the compliment. ”I would just like for you to consider that if you truly love your daughter, wouldn’t it be better to just let her be happy?” 

Maki’s mother straightened her back. “With all due respect, Rin, this is a matter between me and Maki.”

“I know that, and I completely understand - however, I just want to offer my perspective as a friend of Maki’s, and someone who is going through a similar situation to her’s.”

“Rin, you don’t get it. How can she possibly happy with some stupid music career? She is the only one left who can inherit our hospital. If she doesn’t, she will be considered a dis-”

“MAMA!” Maki yelled, harshly standing up and toppling over a glass to the floor, as it shattered into pieces. 

“Maki,” Rin soothed.

“Nishikino-san, will you consider changing your viewpoint?”

“No,” she bluntly stated.

“Then we will be taking our leave,” Rin stood up, grabbing Maki’s wrist and pulling her out of the house. “Thank you for the lunch.”

\--

Both girls silently walked towards the station, Maki with her head down.

“M-Maki-chan?” Rin stuttered. “How are you feeling?”

“It’s whatever,” Maki shrugged. “I didn’t expect it to work anyway.”

“I’m sorry, Maki-chan…”

“It’s not your fault.” Maki assured. They walked in silence for a few minutes, before Maki spoke up again.

“...T-Thank you for accompanying me, Rin,” Maki blushed, looking away.

Rin genuinely smiled for the first time today as she grabbed Maki’s hand.

“It’s okay, Maki-chan!” Rin lit up.

\--

Rin and Maki called Eli and Hanayo to their dorm to explain the situation.

“How’d that go, then?” Eli asked.

“Not that well, to be honest…” Maki explained. “They barely listened to Rin at all. I guess it’s not worth trying anymore,” Maki looked down at her lap.

“H-Hey, for what it’s worth, I think it’s fine to not try anymore,” Hanayo added. “As long as you’re okay with it. I-I mean, you probably aren’t okay with it, but s-still, you know-”

“Hey, it’s okay, Hanayo. I understand you,” Maki interrupted, quietly laughing. Hanayo let out a long sigh.

“Is that all then, girls?” Eli asked. Both Rin and Maki nodded.

“Then we’ll see you again tomorrow.” Eli stood up and walked out of the door. Hanayo soon followed, waving towards Rin and Maki.

“Let’s go to bed?”

“Sure, nya.”

\--

As the clock turned to the new hour, Maki’s professor appeared, letting everyone in the class. Maki walked past her professor to go into the room, but was stopped.

“Wait, Nishikino!” her professor called out.

“Yes?”

“What are you doing here? Haven’t you unenrolled?” he asked.

“Unenrolled?” Maki repeated, confused. “Has there been a mistake?”

“Let me check my roll,” he rushed to his laptop, clicking a few links before he was brought to his class roll. He scrolled down the list of names, in search of Maki’s name.

“Yeah,” he pointed to his screen, “you’re not on the roll anymore. Check your email?”

Maki hurriedly pulled her phone out of her pocket, before she saw the new email notification with a subject titled  _ “Course Unenrollment Confirmation” _ .

Maki was about to inform her professor that this was simply a mistake and that she would get this sorted, however she spotted the next notification - a message from her mother. It simply read,

_ “You left me with no other choice.” _

\--

“Maki, I’m back,” Rin called out as she unlocked the door to the dorm room.

Opening the door, she realised that Maki’s side of the room was completely empty - the bed had looked the exact same as the day they had moved in, and all of her belongings had vanished.

She opened her phone, quickly swiping and pressing to call Maki. She held the phone up to hear.

One beep played, before the call instantly switched to voicemail.

_ “She blocked me…?”  _ Rin thought to herself.

Rin began frantically searching throughout the room to search for anything that Maki could have left behind, while simultaneously starting a call with Eli.

A few moments later, Eli picked up.

_ “Hello?” _

“Hi Eli, do you know where Maki’s gone?”

_ “Huh? What do you mean?” _

“All of her stuff’s gone from our room.”

_ “Weird. Let me try to call her.” _

“Alright,” Rin brought the phone down to hang up, continuing her search.

It didn’t take long before Eli replied, confirming that she had also been blocked.

Rin, after looking through all the cavities and corners she could have possibly looked through in the room, sat down at her bed and took a long sigh.

“Maki… what happened?”


End file.
